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CNN Live Sunday

Four Winning Powerball Tickets Were Sold in Four States

Aired August 26, 2001 - 17:22   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
STEPHEN FRAZIER, CNN ANCHOR: At least four people are millions of dollars richer today, and some people may not even know that. Four winning tickets for the Powerball $295 million jackpot were sold in Minnesota, New Hampshire, Delaware and Kentucky. The drawing, you recall, held about 11:00 p.m. Eastern time last night, the estimated prize one of the biggest lottery jackpots in U.S. history -- not the largest, though.

A Kentucky newspaper reports the winner in that state is 46-year- old David Edwards, a single father and a fiber-optics worker who was recently laid off. The winning numbers again: 8, 17, 22, 42, 47 and the Powerball number 21.

CNN's Patty Davis joins us now from Rollinsford, New Hampshire, where one of those winning tickets was sold at a convenience store called Cumberland Farms.

PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Stephen. The winner, splitting of that jackpot, that nearly $295 million jackpot, a quarter of that, $74 million -- not bad. The store itself gets about $30,000 for selling that winning ticket. Now, no one from the store is talking, but lottery officials are. Joined here from Maura McCann from the New Hampshire lottery. Have we had a winner at least here, in this state of New Hampshire, come forward yet?

MAURA MCCANN, NEW HAMPSHIRE LOTTERY: We haven't heard anything yet. Although it's been an exciting day here in New Hampshire, it's been a rather quiet day.

DAVIS: How long does it normally take for somebody who wins a jackpot this large to come forward and claim it?

MCCANN: Historically, we have dealt with Powerball jackpot winners before. So, it will probably take about a week or so for them to come forward. This is a momentous occasion in their life, so obviously they probably want to take some time.

DAVIS: Although now we're hearing that one man in Kentucky has said that he is claiming his prize. Now this particular store, Cumberland Farms, says that it did 20 times its volume in ticket sales, lotto fever really gripping this part of New Hampshire. What about the whole state? How many tickets were you selling? How was the frenzy? MCCANN: It was very high. This week, we sold over $12 million worth of Powerball tickets. Normally, we would sell between $500,000 and $600,000, so we saw the same ratios that the store did.

DAVIS: All right. Thanks, Maura McCann of the New Hampshire lottery.

Some advice that lottery officials are giving, whoever holds these tickets is make sure that it is in a safe place. Also, sign that ticket right away, make sure that your signature is on it, talk to an attorney or a financial planner and then come and have the lottery check it out.

Now, if you do decide -- if this is your winning ticket, $74 million worth, you can take it either in a lump sum, that's $41 million -- you have to pay taxes on that though -- $2.9 million every year for 25 years, if you take it on an annuity basis. I'm not sure exactly which one I would take, that's still fantasy land to me -- Stephen.

FRAZIER: Patty, at least in New Hampshire, the winner won't have to pay state tax, right? They don't have income tax still, is that the case?

DAVIS: Well, let's ask Maura that. Will the winner have to pay state income tax here?

MCCANN: If they reside in New Hampshire, we do not have a state income tax, so they will be responsible for federal taxes only.

DAVIS: There you go. So, that's a big break here in the state of New Hampshire, Stephen.

FRAZIER: That's why all those license plates behind you, Patty, say "live free or die." What a great license plate.

Patty Davis in New Hampshire, thank you.

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